The Offical Opposition is asking the Government of Saskatchewan to provide some relief for Saskatchewan residents who are feeling a pinch in their wallets.
Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon has called on the province to develop a Provincial Gas Price Relief Program with gas prices soaring.
Though the sanction against Russia is significant, Saskatchewan residents shouldn’t suffer.
“These are important measures that are being brought about to the Putin regime, but there are extraordinary costs that Saskatchewan people are bearing from a financial perspective and families that are already facing a significant cost of living increases,” he said. “Certainly, we need to see a government recognize the challenge they are facing and signal they are willing to provide some temporary relief.”
Wotherspoon noted that the average price in Saskatchewan is forty-two cents per litre more than this day last year – about $40 more for every fuel-up on a Dodge Ram 1500.
The NDP is looking for the province to explore options to reduce fuel costs, including temporarily bypassing the fuel tax to soften the impact of rising prices at the pump. Saskatchewan’s fuel tax rate is 15 cents per litre on gasoline and diesel fuel.
This happens as Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced an end to the province’s tax on gas, which he called “immediate relief at the pumps.”
Premier Scott Moe said that they aren’t looking at any tax relief at the moment.
“That is not something we are actively looking at. Alberta is much more reliant on the oil price than we are in Saskatchewan, we have a much more diversified natural resource-based economy.”
Moe did note that ‘nothing off the table.’
